Valve



Patented June 10, 1952 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE Paul R. Hay,Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application April 5, 1948, Serial No. 18,890

1 Claims.

My invention relates to valves, particularly to valves which may be usedto control the flow of liquids or gases through conduits.

I It is desirable where valves are inserted either in fluid carryingmains or between mains and apparatus connected thereto such as, forexample, gas washers, that the controlled fluid have free passage whenthe valve is in the open position, and when the valve is in the closedposition it is desirable to have the valve closing member in closeengagement with the valve seat so as to prevent leakage of fluid throughthe valve.

In larger valves, ranging in size from about three inches and above, tothose in which the measurements may be expressed in feet, difliculty hasbeen experienced in insuring fluid tight engagement between the valvedisc and the valve seat, and in disengaging the valve disc from itsseat. Elaborate mechanism has been provided for this purpose. A valveaccording to my invention requires only simple mechanism to mov thevalve disc out of or into engagement with the valve seat and when in thelatter position to insure tight engagement with the valve seat.

My valve includes a valve seat, a valve member which member includes avalve disc and an expansible and contractable split-wedge ring memberadjacent the disc, together with means for positively expanding orcontracting the ring member and for moving the ring member and disc, acam surface on the valve member, and a cooperating cam surface'on thedisc.

The expansion or contraction of the ring member and the movement of thevalve member are controlled by the action of cables wound around thecircumference of the ring member and actuated by a winch.

It is an object of my invention to provide a valve structure which issimple to construct, inexpensiveto operate, is positive in operation andis easy to manipulate by hand.

-A further object is to do away with cumbersome-valve operating devicesand to provide a simple and positively operating device which may beoperated by hand.

' A still further objectis to provide a valve which may be adequate tohandle high and low pressures, which may be operated by manpower andwithout complicated valve moving, and valve sealing apparatus. 1

, In the drawings in which I have shown for purposes of illustrationonly the present preferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a view largely in section along the line I- -'I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a view in section along the line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the operating cables and valvemember.

In the drawings the numeral I0 represents a metal rectangular housingwhich consists of side plates I I, and I2, edge plates I3, and I4, abottom plate I5 and a top plate I6 secured together as by welding toform a fluid-tight box having circular openings I! and I8, in the sideplates II. This housing is here shown as welded at the edges of the sideopenings I! and I8 to a fluid line or main I9 although the housing maybe otherwise secured in the line I9.

Along the side plates I I and I2 on each side of the openings I1 and I8,guide rails 20, 2I, 22,-and

23 are secured parallel to one another and extend from-a position nearthe bottom plate I5 to a position near the top plate I6.

A valve member 24 is provided in the housing III and consists of twooppositely disposed circular valve discs 25 and 26 and a ring 21 whichmay also be referred to as a split ring, interposed between the discsand axially thereof. One disc 25 is disposed along side plate II andarranged to make a close fit with a valve seat 28 which isformed on theside plate II around opening I! while the other disc 26 is disposedalong the side plate I2 and arranged to make a close fit with a valveseat 29 which is formed in the side I2 around opening I8. 1

The split ring 2! which has cam surfaces on its outer periphery is madeof resilient metal and comprises a short cylindrical body having alongitudinal slot 30 which extends through thering 21. In the slot,stops 3011 are disposed, one being secured to disc 25, the other beingsecured to disc 26. When free from compressive forces the cross sectionof the ring 21 is as shown in the full lined ring adjacent the top ofFig. 1. Upon the application of forces employed in closing and sealingthe valve openings the ring may be compressed until the edges of slot 30bears almost but preferably not wholly against the stops 30a as thebroken line view of the valve adjacent the bottom of Fig. 1. The reasonfor leaving a small slot when the valve is tightly closed is to insurethat the forces employed in valve closing, as will be explained later,will be expended against the valve discs as to insure fluid-tight jointsbetween the valve discs 25 and 25 and their respective valve seats 28and 29.

Each-of the circular valve discs 25 and26 are formed of a desirablematerial such as bronze, cast iron or stainless steel and shaped asshown to resemble somewhat a railroad car wheel with a tread 3| andflange 32. The diameter of each of the discs as well as the dimensionsof the tread and the flange are such that the disc 25 movably fitsbetween the guide rails and 2|, and the disc 26 fits between guide 22and 23. On the inside of each disc and near the periphery is an inwardlysloping cam surface 33 and on the inside of thafiange a cam surfaceparallel to. surface 33? isi-providedi. The cam'surface 33.300- 10operates with a cam surface 35 on ring 2'T'and the cam surface 34co-operates with a cam surface- 36 on ring 21. By this arrangement ofcam sur faces the valve discs will be axially moved towardi the valveseats by the action of cam surface 335 15. sliding inwardly along camsurface 33 which is caused by the contraction of ringffi. Whemthe ring21 expands the cam surface 36 onring, 2] slides outwardly along camsurface 34' on the" flange 32 and forces the discs 25 and 26 awayfromthe corresponding valve seats 28 and 29-.

In assembling the valve member, the discs-25 and 26 are"axiallyassembled adj acent 'the' ends of the ring member 21-? The ringmember is theircompressed -soas to cause both-sides of the 51cc 30to'=bear against-the stop 30kt whereupon the diameter of the outer endedgesof thering wiil besuch that' the inner part-of theflanges' 32 maybeslid over the outer end edges of-thering: Upon release" of-" the'compressureforces, the-ring" I will eXpa'nd' and the cam surfaces3-6 onring will slide" along the'camsurfaces 34 andthe cam surfaces- 35 alongthe cam surfaces*3}3and' thus engage the ring 21 and discs 25 a'nd '26 Hwinding winch 31-is attached near the center of the top-plate-l 3adjacent t'o'theside plate l3 as'sl iown in-Fig. 1-. The winchincludes-awind-- ing"drum 38 mounted' on a shaft 3 9 which: extendsthrough the side plate 13; through a fluid tight gland-4'6 andterminates in a square'd end which mayreceive-a winding wheel 4|; Pinnedto the shaft3-9 between the gland 40 and the'wheel 41- i's 'anotched-wheel 42 A wheel latch 43a is mounted on the'gland and whendropped in a" notch-0f wheel- 42 willhold the shaft 39against rotationaVlZound around the drum 38 are twosteel cahlesi-a lifting cable 43 and aclosing cable 44- w'ouncli oppositely to each other. Cable 43extendsaround the ring 21 and at the first turn ispinned at 33b to thering 21- a'djacent' one end of the slot- 30: One end of cable- 43 issecuredto an anchor fli in the top plate l5. The cable'44 extends'through apu1ley-46 attached to' the bottom plate It? of the housing;thence around ring" 'f'l' a-nd' is'secured to {an anchor 41 inthe-bottom plate'IE 'Ihe'purposecf the-cable 43'is to m'ove' the valvemember 24 from theclosed position, covering the-openings I land [8* tothe'op'en posi' tio'n'where the valve is wholly clear of theopeni'n'gs"H and I8 or 'to-any position intermediate" the closed and openpositions. The reason for pinning cable 43 tothering- 27 istoensure thatthe ring'2'1 will expand when a lifting stress isplacedon-cableflz Theresiliency ofthe'ring and thelifting forcewill caus'e the ring to open,since one endgof the ring is held immovable relative to" discs-25' and26 by the stop 3611; A; stop 48* on tlie=bottom plate Hi againstwhichthe flanges 3210f: the valve discs 25 and 26 rest limits the downwardtravel of the discs and insures align-- ment of the discs with theirrespective-openings. StopfiQ-attached to topplate it) limits theoppositetravel.

it is: desired to open" the valve partly 4 or wholly, the latch 43a islifted from the wheel 42 which releases drum 3!! and the closing cable44 is slackened to permit the wedge member 21 to expand and byco-operation of the cam surfaces 34 and 36 the discs 25 and 26 areaxially moved away from their respective valve seats and toward eachother. Further movement of the winding drum 38 winds up lifting cable43, insures that the ring z'lcxpands. and-causes closing c'able44 tobeipaid'T-cut; whereupon the valve member 24 is moved away from theclosed position. While moving from the closed position toward the openposition, the valve member rolls clockwise along guide rails as shown inFig. 3. While. moving toward the closed position the valve member 24rolls counter clockwise as indicated: in=-the= lower part of Fig. 3which schematically shows the cable action in moving the valve member tothe closed position, while the upper portion of Fig. 3 shows the valvemember moving: t'ocp'en position;

The housing may be placed at any angle; though I have here shown. it asvertically dih posed: It -i's :-obvious tliat power means: couldbeuse'dii-for' turning the: winch, if it: is desirous to employ-"power.

The various: parts: may be formed from the metal! which best suits thedesigner: the :parts maybe made of cast-metal if desired-i The: metalsthat may be used forexa-mple; cast iron, cast steel,.bronze,' wrought-onrolled metal; stainless: steel, etc;

While-"Irhave: described-the presently preferred embodimentv of; myinvention it: ma-y-= be other-.- wise. embodied with the scope; of thefollowing claims.

Lclaimr 1. Irna; valve; ahousing, having an: opening therein; a valvemembenmova'blefirr the liousi'ng; thei valve member: including anexpansibleand contracti-ble' ring and a disc axially thereof a'd--jacentl the housing; a pair of" axially spaced canr surfaceson saidring; a pairof" axially spaced cam surfaces on said disc respectivelyfbr co'-- operation with one:of "said ring cam surfhcesto provide twosets of coopcrating cam surfaces-fer movingrsai'di disc in: oppositeaxial directibns rela--- tive to: said ring; and means for positivelyex'- panding and contracting said ring to therebyrendersaid sets of" camsurfaces operable to cent the housing; a pair of axially spacedcamsurfaces on said ring, a pair of axiallysp'aced cam surfaces-on said'disc'respectivelyfor cooperation with! one" of saidring' cam' surfacesto-providet'wo sets of-cooperating cam surfacesfor'moving'said disc inopposite axial directionsrelativetosaid ring, means for: contractingsa-id ring to render one of' said setsofcam -surfaees operable tomovesaid disc in oneof sa-i'd directions, and means for expanding saidring to renderthe other of? said sets of cam surfaces operable tomovesaid disc'i'n the otherof said directions".

3. In a: valve, a housing having an opening therein, a valvememb'er'movable' im thehousingi' the valve member including an expansible andeontractible" ring and a; disc axially thereof zeta cent the housing, apair of axially spaced calm surfaces on said ring, apa irrofaxiallyspacedi'cam surfaces on said' diserespectively for cooperationwith one of said ring cam surfaces te provi'de two sets of cooperatingcam surfaces for moving said disc in opposite axial directions relativeto said ring, and means including a cable reeled on said ring forpositively expanding and contracting said ring by a reeling movement ofthe cable to thereby render said sets of cam surfaces operable to movesaid disc in opposite directions.

4. In a valve, a housing having an opening therein, a valve membermovable in the housing, the valvemember including an expansible andcontractible ring and a disc axially thereof adjacent the housing, apair of axially spaced cam surfaces on said ring, a pair of axiallyspaced cam surfaces on said disc respectively for cooperation with oneof said ring cam surfaces to provide two sets of cooperating camsurfaces for moving said disc in opposite axial directions relative tosaid ring, and means including a cable having portions thereof reeled onsaid ring in opposite directions, reeling movement of said cable in onedirection being effective through one of said cable portions to contractsaid ring and render one of said sets of cam surfaces operable to movesaid disc in one axial direction, and reeling movement of said cable inan opposite direction being effective through the other of said cableportions to expand said ring and render the other of said sets of camsurfaces operable to move said disc in an opposite axial direction.

5. In a valve, a housing having an opening therein, a valve membermovable in the housing to and from positions opening and closing saidopening, said valve member including a disc for sealing engagement withthe housing about said opening and an expansible and contractible ringarranged axially of said disc, and means for operating said valve memberincluding a cable reeled on said ring for moving said valve member insaid housing with a rolling motion and for contracting said ring toeffect sealing engagement of said disc when it is in a position closingsaid opening.

PAUL R. HAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 808,561 Millholland Dec. 26, 1905FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,469 Great Britain of 1877 17,559Great Britain of 1889

